Meeting with National Union of Teachers Barnet Association last night

I visited Hendon School and the Lib Dem and I had a brief look around the site which has grown over 100 years to quite a badly planned but nice grounds with an actual grass playing field, courtyard, old gym, new sports hall in the "new" building, and a courtyard with a focal point that is an art work designed by one pupil who worked as an autism consultant for the school. I saw the School Council notice board and the City Safe Haven (phase 2) notice board, as the school is affiliated to North London Citizens. I explained our policy. There was catering and cake and I helped take some home. I think it went well. But first here is what I said in my opening speech.

It is nice to be here at Hendon School and have the rep show me round earlier. It gives me great pleasure to launch my campaign for education by signing the NUT's manifesto to stand up for education. I remember panicking that our website was not up to date in time for NUT conference having had Martin Francis amend it to strongly oppose the changes Michael Gove has made in the last few years. To everyone who called for Gove to go, you won, he went! Well done. Imagine coming back in 5 years time and there are solar panels on top of it. A vote for Barnet Green Party is a vote for genuine action on climate change, a public NHS, free education, but priority number one is housing. (Holds up housing postcard) for people not for profit. Let me ask you something. Would you like to have an open space to be able to kick a ball around in? The Green Party will protect metropolitan open space and London's Green belt and not re-designate it for property development. My priority in this election is to make Hendon a safe space for self-defining women that make up 51% of the population. The Green movement a broad church open to people like the 3 families of Sweets Way who marched to Barnet House, united by a love of the local area. And it's great to have someone on the panel who's a West Hendon community legend.

10 Evil Tactics Hunger Games

I just finished reading the first and third Hunger Games Books.  My thoughts.

Hunger Games: Ten Tactics of Cameron's Class Warriors, and how to fight back!

1. Revisionism
 "The mayor steps up to the podium and begins to read. It's the same story every year... as our reminder that the Dark Days must never be repeated, it gave us the Hunger Games."

2. Violence
 "Of course, people keel over from starvation all the time, but I can’t imagine the Peacekeepers murdering a simpleminded child."

3.  Game-makers
"Sadly, rules are rules"

4. Divide and rule

 "They're holding hands. I want them dead!"

5.  Fear (to block out hope)

6. Cue Cards

7. Surveillance
"Being in the woods is rejuvenating.
...unloading our thoughts while we filled our game bags. This was the doorway to both sustenance and sanity. And we were each other's key."

8. Genetic modification
and nuclear

9. The mass media

10.  Elected dictatorship